Two white SUVs on one platform — and completely different personalities. The Lexus GX 550 and the Toyota Land Cruiser are built on the same TNGA-F body-on-frame architecture, but after MJ Motorsports got to them, they look like two answers to one question: what should a modern off-roader be when you strip away everything unnecessary?
The Hawaiian shop out of Waipahu didn’t turn these trucks into show projects with winches, expedition racks and a half-roof of light bars. The bet was on a clean image: white bodywork, the right stance, big wheels and mean off-road rubber. And you know what? That turned out to be enough.
The Lexus GX 550 got the more contrasting look. It rides on a Ready Lift 1.5-inch kit — roughly 38 mm. Inside the arches sit 22-inch black Vossen HFX-4 wheels, 9.5 inches wide, wrapped in Toyo Open Country R/T Trail tires sized 275/50 R22. The black elements pop against the white paint and push the GX visually closer to an expensive city SUV that still has real reserves for the dirt.
The Toyota Land Cruiser comes off more practical and rougher. It got 17-inch Method Race Wheels MR709 rims, 8.5 inches wide with a +25 offset, and Toyo Open Country R/T Trail 285/70 R17 tires. The clearance for those wheels came courtesy of an Eibach 3-inch lift kit — about 76 mm. Unlike on the Lexus, the wheels aren’t black but polished. The look is less premium — and more trail-ready.
There’s a difference under the hood, too — and it’s a big one. The US-market Lexus GX 550 packs a 3.4-liter twin-turbo V6 with 349 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque. The Toyota Land Cruiser for North America comes exclusively with the i-Force Max hybrid setup: a 2.4-liter turbo plus electrification, total output 326 hp and 465 lb-ft. So the choice between them isn’t just about styling.
The GX is about power and status, with a premium accent. The Land Cruiser is more rational, simpler in image and closer to the classic off-road script — especially with smaller wheels and chunkier tires. Both builds prove one simple thing. Tuning a body-on-frame SUV doesn’t have to be heavy. Sometimes the right ride height, the right wheels and the right rubber are all it takes to make a truck look ready for whatever comes after the pavement ends.
